I like one of the definitions in Webster's Dictionary for the word "bond." It states that "bond" is a "duty or obligation imposed by a contract, promise, etc." I have faint memory of when a man's word was his commitment and promise and was worthy of honor. Today, words are cheap! Men use words today in business, politics, and the biased media to manipulate the thinking of others to accomplish their agendas.
Here is a quote by a well known leader: "If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will
eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such
time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic
and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally
important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for
the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the
truth is the greatest enemy of the State." It's presidential election time and political candidates all subscribe to this philosophy. This, by the way, is a quote by Joseph Goebbels, Hitler's Master of Propaganda!
President Obama and his "spin doctors" are re-making the promises of 2008, few of which have been kept. Gov. Romney is making promises, many of which he will be unable to keep. As a nation, we need to ask ourselves what has happened to denigrate the value of a man's word? Can we ever return to a time when a man's word is his bond? Post a comment and tell us what you think!
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Where have all the ethical leaders gone?
Following is a quote from an article written by Rick Joiner entitled "Signs of A Great Awakening" in The Oak Initiative September 4, 2012 issue:
"As the Eagle Flies
An eagle must have a left and right wing to fly, and so must
America.
Over the last four years we have been pulled hard to the left, and the country
is going to swing back to the right now. This is shaping up to be the most
brutal U.S.
election in a century, but who would have thought one of the defining moments
would be centered around a fast food restaurant chain owner?
Dan Cathy declared that he was not for same-sex marriage and
the outrage from the left was immediate, loud, and threatening. He did not back
down or compromise his convictions as so many other corporations have done. So
the Gay Agenda threatened his restaurant chain, Chick-fil-A, with the biggest
kiss-in demonstration in history, resolving to drive Cathy into the ground.
Cathy stood his ground. The kiss-in was not only the biggest fizzle of a
demonstration in recent memory, but on the day of the threatened “kiss-in,”
Chick-fil-A broke all sales records. It seemed that the entire nation rose up
in Cathy’s support and voted with their feet by going to Chick-fil-A.
Now it’s been weeks since that day and the crowds seem to
have hardly diminished at Chick-fil-A. No amount of advertising could have
brought out the kind of crowds that are still pouring into Chick-fil-A
restaurants. This is another demonstration of how America is responding to bold,
courageous leadership, wherever it comes from."
President Obama certainly didn't take a stand for Mr. Cathy's right to free speech and, unfortunately, neither did Mitt Romney. Chicago Mayor Rom Emanuel took his bully pulpit and threatened not to approve any additional stores because Mr. Cathy exercised his First Amendment rights. If one has a different opinion or belief system, denigration, hatred and persecution has become the normal response from corporations, politicians and the leftist media.
Men and women alike saw true, ethical leadership from Mr. Cathy and responded with power. Let's do this every time we purchase a product! Let's do this every time we watch a biased news show! Let's do this every time we vote!
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
When We Thought It Couldn't Get Worse....
Changing Direction
If you've read any of my blogs in the past, you know it's been some time since I've posted, over a year in fact. For business, government, politics, and even religion, it seemed integrity and honesty was becoming something we just talked about but did not practice in the real world. The possibility of my contributions in this blog changing the direction of our society seemed slim to none. So, I stopped writing.
Today I received a comment from a person that read one of my previous blogs and acknowledged the benefit of the principle it communicated. The story of a small boy on a beach came to my mind. A storm surge had pushed tens of thousands of starfish high on the beach. The young boy was scurrying around picking up starfish and throwing them back into the water. An adult stood watching him for a few minutes and finally said to him, "Son, there are too many of them. You'll never make a difference." The boy stopped for a moment and then replied, "Mister, it will make a difference for those I throw back!"
So, I'm back, but I'm back with a difference. In the past, I endeavored not to mention the names of persons demonstrating weak character and lack of integrity. Today our nation, along with the rest of the world, hangs in the balance of going the way set by our forefathers or literally collapsing into a cesspool of unrighteousness and lack of integrity. For the immediate future at least, this blog will speak to the declining ethical state of our nation, even to those perpetrating it. While my focus will still be on the value of ethics in achieving success, I'll illustrate the lack of such ethics by focusing on current actions by leaders in government, business and religion.
My purpose is less to criticize than it is to call for accountability. The Holy Bible, both the Old and New Testaments instructs mankind to abhor evil and to hold onto what is good. I plan to speak against evil. I don't plan, however, to look at the speck in others' eyes and disregard the plank in mine. However, I'm human and I may. So I'm asking readers to share comments to these blogs in the way I intend to write them, as honestly as possible. If you are like me, I'm tired of differences of opinion and beliefs generating responses of hatred and division. I'm after dialog that can produce positive change, even if it's one starfish at a time! Join me won't you!
If you've read any of my blogs in the past, you know it's been some time since I've posted, over a year in fact. For business, government, politics, and even religion, it seemed integrity and honesty was becoming something we just talked about but did not practice in the real world. The possibility of my contributions in this blog changing the direction of our society seemed slim to none. So, I stopped writing.
Today I received a comment from a person that read one of my previous blogs and acknowledged the benefit of the principle it communicated. The story of a small boy on a beach came to my mind. A storm surge had pushed tens of thousands of starfish high on the beach. The young boy was scurrying around picking up starfish and throwing them back into the water. An adult stood watching him for a few minutes and finally said to him, "Son, there are too many of them. You'll never make a difference." The boy stopped for a moment and then replied, "Mister, it will make a difference for those I throw back!"
So, I'm back, but I'm back with a difference. In the past, I endeavored not to mention the names of persons demonstrating weak character and lack of integrity. Today our nation, along with the rest of the world, hangs in the balance of going the way set by our forefathers or literally collapsing into a cesspool of unrighteousness and lack of integrity. For the immediate future at least, this blog will speak to the declining ethical state of our nation, even to those perpetrating it. While my focus will still be on the value of ethics in achieving success, I'll illustrate the lack of such ethics by focusing on current actions by leaders in government, business and religion.
My purpose is less to criticize than it is to call for accountability. The Holy Bible, both the Old and New Testaments instructs mankind to abhor evil and to hold onto what is good. I plan to speak against evil. I don't plan, however, to look at the speck in others' eyes and disregard the plank in mine. However, I'm human and I may. So I'm asking readers to share comments to these blogs in the way I intend to write them, as honestly as possible. If you are like me, I'm tired of differences of opinion and beliefs generating responses of hatred and division. I'm after dialog that can produce positive change, even if it's one starfish at a time! Join me won't you!
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Wisdom and Understanding--Keys to Success
As we began exploring the natural laws from the Book of Proverbs in my last blog, our focus was on the basic ingredients for success, knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is a system of truth and wisdom is the application of that truth. In Proverbs, chapter 2, verses 10 and 11 we read:
Vs.10 When wisdom enters your heart, And knowledge is pleasant to your soul, Vs.11 Discretion will preserve you; Understanding will keep you.
As we apply knowledge, we get wisdom. Interestingly, wisdom is not always sunshine and roses. We get wisdom when we do the right thing, and the wrong! Wisdom is learning from our mistakes and not doing the same wrong thing over and over. Wisdom should produce discretion, i.e., the common sense not to do the wrong thing again. When we naturally are able to do the right thing consistently, we have achieved understanding in our hearts that will promote good results in our lives.
Notice we're talking about our hearts, not our minds. One of Webster's definitions of heart is:
"The human heart considered as the center or source of emotions, personality attributes; specifically inmost thoughts and feelings, consciousness or conscience, the source of emotions, the source of intellect, one's emotional nature or disposition, any of various human feelings such as love, devotion or sympathy, mood, spirit, resolution, courage, etc."
Actually, the heart is all that man or woman is! It is the reservoir of who we are. So a key to life success is allowing wisdom to work its way into our hearts. When wisdom controls, we succeed. When our natural inclinations and actions control, we usually don't win!
I remember a story told by a veteran pastor. After 20 plus years in the pulpit, his wife called his office to tell him the natural grandparents of his adopted children has just forcefully taken their children from their home. Knowing where the grandparents lived, the pastor jumped in his car and drove to a local pawn shop, bought two large caliber hand guns and all the ammunition he could carry. He then sped toward the grandparent's home with every intention of shooting everything above 5 feet tall in the house! Fortunately, he was stopped by a friend who was a highway patrolman and was not able to carry out the things in his heart. When he shared this story, he concluded with a lesson for us all: The heart of man and woman is deceitfully wicked and none of us know what we are capable of in times of trouble!
As we begin exploring these natural laws for success, it is a good time for honesty with ourselves. What is in our hearts that may be standing in the way of our success in marriage, business or life? It may be time to ask for help to get understanding! If you have questions or comments, post them to this blog and indicate if you prefer not to have them published. If you'd like to participate in this journey with me, be sure to sign up as a follower to receive notice of each of my posts. I pray you will be filled with wisdom and understanding!
Vs.10 When wisdom enters your heart, And knowledge is pleasant to your soul, Vs.11 Discretion will preserve you; Understanding will keep you.
As we apply knowledge, we get wisdom. Interestingly, wisdom is not always sunshine and roses. We get wisdom when we do the right thing, and the wrong! Wisdom is learning from our mistakes and not doing the same wrong thing over and over. Wisdom should produce discretion, i.e., the common sense not to do the wrong thing again. When we naturally are able to do the right thing consistently, we have achieved understanding in our hearts that will promote good results in our lives.
Notice we're talking about our hearts, not our minds. One of Webster's definitions of heart is:
"The human heart considered as the center or source of emotions, personality attributes; specifically inmost thoughts and feelings, consciousness or conscience, the source of emotions, the source of intellect, one's emotional nature or disposition, any of various human feelings such as love, devotion or sympathy, mood, spirit, resolution, courage, etc."
Actually, the heart is all that man or woman is! It is the reservoir of who we are. So a key to life success is allowing wisdom to work its way into our hearts. When wisdom controls, we succeed. When our natural inclinations and actions control, we usually don't win!
I remember a story told by a veteran pastor. After 20 plus years in the pulpit, his wife called his office to tell him the natural grandparents of his adopted children has just forcefully taken their children from their home. Knowing where the grandparents lived, the pastor jumped in his car and drove to a local pawn shop, bought two large caliber hand guns and all the ammunition he could carry. He then sped toward the grandparent's home with every intention of shooting everything above 5 feet tall in the house! Fortunately, he was stopped by a friend who was a highway patrolman and was not able to carry out the things in his heart. When he shared this story, he concluded with a lesson for us all: The heart of man and woman is deceitfully wicked and none of us know what we are capable of in times of trouble!
As we begin exploring these natural laws for success, it is a good time for honesty with ourselves. What is in our hearts that may be standing in the way of our success in marriage, business or life? It may be time to ask for help to get understanding! If you have questions or comments, post them to this blog and indicate if you prefer not to have them published. If you'd like to participate in this journey with me, be sure to sign up as a follower to receive notice of each of my posts. I pray you will be filled with wisdom and understanding!
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Are There Laws for Success? Join Me and See!
I'm sure if you watch the Saturday infomercials your answer to this question would be yes. At least the merchandisers of success would like us to believe they have the secrets to success!
The truth is laws for success were established in the earth thousands of years ago. These laws for success parallel natural and scientific laws that operate on the earth such as gravity, seasons for planting and harvesting and even thermodynamics just to name a few. One does not have to believe in these natural laws for them to work. They just do!
The natural laws for success are documented in the Book of Proverbs in the Old Testament of the Holy Bible. People of many faiths, and some with no faith at all, have obeyed these laws and found success in many areas of their lives.
,
These natural laws for success are the foundation of all ethics, in our personal lives and in our work. During 2011, we'll explore these laws and their applications.
To begin, here are the purposes of the Book of Proverbs in chapter one, verses two through five:
Vs. 2: To know wisdom and instruction, To perceive the words of understanding, Vs. 3: To receive the instruction of wisdom, Justice, judgment, and equity; Vs. 4: To give prudence to the simple, To the young man knowledge and discretion-- Vs. 5: A wise man will hear and increase learning, And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel, .....
Two of the key ingredients mentioned here are knowledge and wisdom. In reality, one is not the other! Knowledge is a system of truth and wisdom is the application of the system. Join me over the next few months as we explore these natural laws for success!
The truth is laws for success were established in the earth thousands of years ago. These laws for success parallel natural and scientific laws that operate on the earth such as gravity, seasons for planting and harvesting and even thermodynamics just to name a few. One does not have to believe in these natural laws for them to work. They just do!
The natural laws for success are documented in the Book of Proverbs in the Old Testament of the Holy Bible. People of many faiths, and some with no faith at all, have obeyed these laws and found success in many areas of their lives.
,
These natural laws for success are the foundation of all ethics, in our personal lives and in our work. During 2011, we'll explore these laws and their applications.
To begin, here are the purposes of the Book of Proverbs in chapter one, verses two through five:
Vs. 2: To know wisdom and instruction, To perceive the words of understanding, Vs. 3: To receive the instruction of wisdom, Justice, judgment, and equity; Vs. 4: To give prudence to the simple, To the young man knowledge and discretion-- Vs. 5: A wise man will hear and increase learning, And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel, .....
Two of the key ingredients mentioned here are knowledge and wisdom. In reality, one is not the other! Knowledge is a system of truth and wisdom is the application of the system. Join me over the next few months as we explore these natural laws for success!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Are You Ready?
Watching a few minutes of television commercials during this election season quickly illustrates the state of our nation. While the economic condition of the United States is in great jeopardy, it is not the most important issue before us. The moral depravity of our leadership is the most important issue.
Political ads fill most available advertising spots on television and radio. Newspaper, magazine and internet advertising is dominated by politicians being responsible for this or that. Unfortunately, the only thing they are not responsible for it their ethical behavior!
These media ads are filled with half-truths, sound bites taken out of context, innuendos and out right lies! All this to gain our favor! Even when one is caught in a blatant lie, the spin is "I'm sorry I misspoke on several occasions. I didn't mean to say ________ and it has nothing to do with my character or ability to carry out my responsibilities." Somehow the word "misspoke" has become the acceptable way to say "I lied!"
Political agendas can no longer be evaluated based on what a politician says. Actually, the opposite has become true. What they don't say is more likely the truth!
So, where does this leave you and I? When people are calling evil good and good evil, how are we to know who to believe? Only one way is possible and it's not our belief system, our experiences or our preferences. It is God's standards and guidelines presented in the Holy Bible.
This continual best-selling Book contains the only time-enduring truth. It is the operation manual for mankind. Not a Word has ever been proven wrong! Supported by the works of historians, archeologists and even skeptics, it is the inspired Word of God.
Any behavior or speech that does not line up with the Word of God is based on a lie, no matter whether it is from a politician, minister, business leader or from you or me! It is only when we read, study and meditate on Biblical Scriptures that we can know the truth.
Only by knowing the Truth can we truly be free to live our lives ethically, morally and be an example for others to follow. We don't have to be perfect, no one is. We simply have to know God and His plan for our lives. That plan was demonstrated by His Son, Jesus Christ. There is no other Way!
Spiritual darkness is covering the earth. The Bible tells us the Light in us will push back and even change the darkness around us. Christ in us is the Light and our Hope of Glory, even in the midst of the depravity of these times. In the Old Testament of the Bible we can read about how God sheltered His people during the plagues of Egypt. He has promised to do so again for people that believe and trust His Son, Jesus Christ.
So I ask again, are you ready?
Political ads fill most available advertising spots on television and radio. Newspaper, magazine and internet advertising is dominated by politicians being responsible for this or that. Unfortunately, the only thing they are not responsible for it their ethical behavior!
These media ads are filled with half-truths, sound bites taken out of context, innuendos and out right lies! All this to gain our favor! Even when one is caught in a blatant lie, the spin is "I'm sorry I misspoke on several occasions. I didn't mean to say ________ and it has nothing to do with my character or ability to carry out my responsibilities." Somehow the word "misspoke" has become the acceptable way to say "I lied!"
Political agendas can no longer be evaluated based on what a politician says. Actually, the opposite has become true. What they don't say is more likely the truth!
So, where does this leave you and I? When people are calling evil good and good evil, how are we to know who to believe? Only one way is possible and it's not our belief system, our experiences or our preferences. It is God's standards and guidelines presented in the Holy Bible.
This continual best-selling Book contains the only time-enduring truth. It is the operation manual for mankind. Not a Word has ever been proven wrong! Supported by the works of historians, archeologists and even skeptics, it is the inspired Word of God.
Any behavior or speech that does not line up with the Word of God is based on a lie, no matter whether it is from a politician, minister, business leader or from you or me! It is only when we read, study and meditate on Biblical Scriptures that we can know the truth.
Only by knowing the Truth can we truly be free to live our lives ethically, morally and be an example for others to follow. We don't have to be perfect, no one is. We simply have to know God and His plan for our lives. That plan was demonstrated by His Son, Jesus Christ. There is no other Way!
Spiritual darkness is covering the earth. The Bible tells us the Light in us will push back and even change the darkness around us. Christ in us is the Light and our Hope of Glory, even in the midst of the depravity of these times. In the Old Testament of the Bible we can read about how God sheltered His people during the plagues of Egypt. He has promised to do so again for people that believe and trust His Son, Jesus Christ.
So I ask again, are you ready?
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Who Do You Trust?
As chaos erupts around the world, as the economy teeters on the brink of collapse, as politicians try to win favor with only their words, and as spiritual darkness permeates every sector of society, who can be trusted? How can we know who is deserving of our trust? We'll briefly explore these issues in this blog.
Webster's New World Dictionary defines trust:
"Firm belief or confidence in the honesty, integrity, reliability, justice, etc. of another person or thing; faith; reliance."
A starting point for this discussion would be to ask is a person "trustworthy." Applying Webster's definition would indicate that persons are trustworthy when they are honest, have integrity and are reliable. Most of us would agree this means that a person will tell the truth, not just most of the time but all the time. It would mean the person demonstrates integrity by what they say and do. It would mean one could rely on what a person says because they say what they mean and mean what they say! To shorten the thought, we can know whether a person is trustworthy by the demonstration of their character.
If one purchases a bottle of water that is certified to be 99.44% spring water and .56% sewage, would it be considered drinkable? Certainly not! Yet our evaluation of the character of politicians, business leaders and even church leaders doesn't seem to be affected if they "spin" the truth, if what they do is primarily for the purpose of enriching or aggrandizing themselves or if it is primarily for the purpose of accomplishing their political or personal agenda.
One might question at this point whether anyone can be considered trustworthy. No human being is perfect and most of us realize that perfection is not a mark of character. Character emanates from within, i.e., whatever is in our heart. Our personal experiences, desires, motives and beliefs shape our character. Our character usually changes throughout life, for better or for worse!
The Holy Bible, in Proverbs 4:23 and 4:24, says:
"Keep (guard) your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. Put away from you a deceitful mouth, and put perverse lips far from you."
I could interpret this verse as, "Keep honesty, integrity and good character in your heart. Don't deviate from these things, no matter what the cost. Don't speak false, deceitful words or half-truths because they will fill your heart and diminish your character."
1 Timothy 4:1 and 4:2 supports these truths. "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron..."
So, here's the bottom line. The character of man is demonstrated by what he/she does and says. Trust can be earned in this way or the true nature of a person can be revealed. The character of a person should tell us if they are trustworthy. Only a fool would place trust in a person that is not trustworthy! Who do you trust?
Webster's New World Dictionary defines trust:
"Firm belief or confidence in the honesty, integrity, reliability, justice, etc. of another person or thing; faith; reliance."
A starting point for this discussion would be to ask is a person "trustworthy." Applying Webster's definition would indicate that persons are trustworthy when they are honest, have integrity and are reliable. Most of us would agree this means that a person will tell the truth, not just most of the time but all the time. It would mean the person demonstrates integrity by what they say and do. It would mean one could rely on what a person says because they say what they mean and mean what they say! To shorten the thought, we can know whether a person is trustworthy by the demonstration of their character.
If one purchases a bottle of water that is certified to be 99.44% spring water and .56% sewage, would it be considered drinkable? Certainly not! Yet our evaluation of the character of politicians, business leaders and even church leaders doesn't seem to be affected if they "spin" the truth, if what they do is primarily for the purpose of enriching or aggrandizing themselves or if it is primarily for the purpose of accomplishing their political or personal agenda.
One might question at this point whether anyone can be considered trustworthy. No human being is perfect and most of us realize that perfection is not a mark of character. Character emanates from within, i.e., whatever is in our heart. Our personal experiences, desires, motives and beliefs shape our character. Our character usually changes throughout life, for better or for worse!
The Holy Bible, in Proverbs 4:23 and 4:24, says:
"Keep (guard) your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. Put away from you a deceitful mouth, and put perverse lips far from you."
I could interpret this verse as, "Keep honesty, integrity and good character in your heart. Don't deviate from these things, no matter what the cost. Don't speak false, deceitful words or half-truths because they will fill your heart and diminish your character."
1 Timothy 4:1 and 4:2 supports these truths. "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron..."
So, here's the bottom line. The character of man is demonstrated by what he/she does and says. Trust can be earned in this way or the true nature of a person can be revealed. The character of a person should tell us if they are trustworthy. Only a fool would place trust in a person that is not trustworthy! Who do you trust?
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